1. The Power of Thank You! Best Practices & Samples

2. How To Write a Thank You Employee recognition is worth the time and the money you spend on it. You have no other tool at your disposal that so predictably makes employees feel good about your company and goals. From employee recognition letters to bonuses and gifts, employee recognition is good for workplace motivation and creates positive employee morale. Your options for employee recognition are numerous. A simple thank you letter, that recognizes specific employee contributions, goes a long way in helping employees feel recognized and rewarded. Some employees experience such gratification that they post the thank you and recognition letter in their cubicle, office, or workstation for years. An employee recognition letter does not need to be elaborate but it is most effective when the employee recognition letter: Specifically describes the behavior you'd like to encourage Says thank you and that the employee contribution is appreciated Is written and given close in timing to the event you are praising Is handwritten and mailed to the employees home or in an email. Don't underestimate the joy an employee experiences when an employee receives a recognition letter from someone who is important to them at work – you will see how much a little “Thank You” will go a long way! RESOURCES Print Management Kudo Cards – SDX-1500 Patients are the Heart Note Cards – PRE-PNC01 Residents are the Heart Note Cards – PRE-RNC01 SodexoNet e-Cards

3. Sample Thank You’s Informal Thank You Mark, I want you to know how much we appreciate the extra time you put in this week to get the new dining room setup. The residents were well-served by your extra efforts and the client is extremely happy as we delivered on our promised timeline. Thanks so much again. Cathy Dear Michelle – I wanted to you to know that we received a very nice compliment about you from one of our patients. While doing patient rounds, our dietitian came across a patient that wanted to talk about the AYR meals. She said she had never been in a hospital that offered room service before and told her she was depressed about her medical diagnosis and really didn’t feel much like eating. The patient knew she had to eat to keep her strength up so she called to order food. When she started talking to the operator - Michelle, the kindness and compassion in her voice was overwhelming. The patient went on to say every time day or night when she called, Michelle was so nice it lifted her spirits. She said sometimes she would call just to talk. She stated it was their love and kindness that changed her outlook on her condition. She said she never met Michelle but will never forget what they did to make her feel special and loved. I appreciate your compassion and dedication to our patients – as you can see, it truly makes a difference! Thank you for all you do. Glen Dear Iris, We have received daily compliments from a special group of residents that dine in our Cafe. Residents miss you on the days that you are off or working in another area and ask for your when you’re not there. You have built relationships and have made bonds that no one can ever take away. You add life and smiles to the cafe and to our team. We thank you for your smiles and your dedication to our department. You truly exemplify the true meaning of putting Residents at the Heart of everything we do! Regards, Beth

4. Sample Thank You’s Formal Thank You Dear Gary – I am VERY excited to tell you that we have received the highest level of recognition - Platinum Winner - for the Spirit of Sodexo awards that will be celebrated Monday Oct. 19th at the National Management Conference in Dallas! Your above and beyond efforts, added work, willingness to try new ideas and more has been recognized at the highest level of Sodexo North America. While I know you would agree that many others played a role in making the Patient Resident Experience come to mean more than words on a page, it is because of your leadership, skills and commitment to putting Patients and Residents at the Heart of what we do that has led to your recognition. We need to thank our leadership team for having the courage to invest in this strategic direction and stay the course during very difficult financial times. I believe the investment has paid off and know that they do as well. It is with enormous pride that I thank you for all your efforts over the past 4 years. While we have a long way to go on our journey, I believe today we can say our organization is differentiated by our Patient Resident Experience brand. We are helping grow, sell and retain our business through this unique brand we are building. So today, take a step back and feel proud for the part you have played in making the lives of those we touch that much better and making Sodexo the provider of choice. You will be contacted soon with an invitation to attend the conference if you are not already attending. WOW!!! Sincerely, Dudley

5. Sample Thank You’s Formal Thank You January 15, 2010 Janet Star 124 State St. Boston, MA 01810 Dear Janet - We want to recognize you for your partnership in improving patient flow. Joint efforts directed by you involving our medical staff, nursing, EVS and transportation have had many positive effects at our hospital Your diligence in looking at our discharge plans, patterns, and stakeholders to identify how we can continually improve our processes has helped us identify opportunities to get our patients a room as soon as possible. You manage many responsibilities and you make no excuses when it comes to putting patients first. With your dedicated leadership, we have seen turn around time reduce from the 60 minute range to the 40-50 minute range and fewer needs for “stat cleans”. With over 100 transfer and discharge beds a day. Your efforts have improved patient and employee satisfaction getting areas unclogged and avoiding extreme measures such as diversion. Thank you Janet for your leadership and your commitment to making patients the heart of everything we do. We truly appreciate having you on our team. Regards, Jim Knox District Manager